Opinions needed

[FreediveWI]

Tom,

Buckles break and get jammed up with pebbles and sand. A one-piece harness won't have these problems.

IF it is sized right it is not very difficult to take on and off. Taking the time to size it correctly makes all the difference in the world. It also costs less than a harness with all of the goofy buckles and clips on them.

In a dire emergency you can simply cut the webbing on the harness if you need to. Since the webbing harness is so cheap you can easily afford to make a new one.

When it comes to back-plates that will depend upon the type od suit that you wear. For drysuits i will wear a stainless steel plate that weighs about 6 pounds. For wetsuit or no suit diving a would wear an aluminum or plastic plate. Aluminum may be a bit stronger and plastic wears easier on the webbing. Each one weighs less than than a pound.

I hope that helps.

Jon